Summary: By 2030, we will end preventable deaths of mothers, newborn babies and children in the developing world.
- We have made progress on reducing preventable deaths around the world, but every day over 800 women around the world still die from causes related to pregnancy and childbirth.
- That is both tragic and preventable. We are committing to ending the preventable deaths of mothers, new-born babies and children in the developing world by 2030.
- We will ensure that wherever somebody is born, they have access to the same health services and that no one is left behind.
Background
- Every day, around 830 around the world women die from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth. Every year, about 300,000 mothers, 3 million newborn babies, and over 5 million children under five die. Most of these deaths are preventable through strengthening the health system to achieve universal health coverage.
Our solution
- We are committing to ending the preventable deaths of mothers, new-born babies and children in the developing world by 2030. We will increase research and development funding into health technologies designed to meet the needs of developing countries, like vaccines and low-cost diagnostics; provide more technical assistance to support countries to direct their resources towards cost-effective health interventions; and continue to support universal availability of sexual and reproductive health services for women and girls.
- The world-class expertise of our doctors and nurses will also help to develop new medicines and technologies that can be used in the developing world. We will mobilise the UK’s best medical schools and universities, who host some of the best medical scientists and practitioners in the world to meet this aim.
Conservative record
- We are already working to help bridge the healthcare gap in developing countries, stopping women and babies dying in childbirth. We announced £50 million by 2023 to support continued investment that will advance health systems. with a focus on improving maternal and new-born outcomes.
Q: Why 2030 – why not next year?
This is a long-term aim, it will require governments, charities and businesses to step up to meet this commitment. But what we are committing to, is that we will lead the charge to prevent these deaths – raising this issue around the world.
